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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pitch — completely
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — certain
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spring — of water
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. roll — a cake
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. roll — a list
  22. spring — the season
  23. bound — tied together
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com